ISSN: 0022-1198
CODEN: JFSCA
Page Count: 3

Blood, Brain, and Hair GHB Concentrations Following Fatal Ingestion
Schmunk, GA
Office of the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner, CA

Kalasinsky, KS
Division of Forensic Toxicology, Office of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, MD

Dixon, MM
Division of Forensic Toxicology, Office of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, MD

Kish, SJ
Human Neurochemical Pathology Laboratory, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Ontario

(Received 24 May 2000; accepted 11 July 2000)

Abstract

Despite the increasing incidence of illicit use of gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), little information is available documenting levels of the drug in GHB fatalities. We measured GHB levels in postmortem blood, brain and hair specimens from a suspected overdose case by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) following solid phase extraction (SPE) and derivatization with bis(trimethyl-silyl) trifluoroacetamide (BSTFA). Examination found 330 µg/mL GHB in femoral blood and 221 ng/mg GHB in frontal cortex brain tissue, values higher than those typically reported in the literature. The hair shaft was negative for GHB whereas the plucked root bulbs with outer root sheath attached (2221 ng/mg) and root bulbs after washing and removal of the outer root sheath (47 ng/mg) contained the drug. Our results are consistent with an acute single dose of GHB and, as the toxicology screen was negative for other drugs of abuse, emphasize the significant danger of this drug.

Keywords:
forensic science, forensic toxicology, death, gamma-hydroxybutyrate, blood, brain, hair, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, solid phase extraction

Paper ID: JFS15032J
DOI: 10.1520/JFS15032J
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